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Balancing oil revenues

Murray Mandryk’s Oct. 20 column states, “Quirky oil can’t be the basis of our budgeting.” We agree. That’s why our government has taken measures to reduce its reliance on oil revenues, as we work toward achieving a balanced budget in 2019-20.

Letters to the editor Nov. 19, 2018Back to video

The energy sector remains a vital part of our economy that supports 34,000 direct and indirect jobs. But today, about 11 per cent of the province’s total revenue comes from non-renewable resources. That’s down from approximately 32 per cent in 2008-09 — a significant reduction, which has resulted in a more stable revenue base.

As Mandryk writes, it is inherently unfair that Western Canadian Select (WCS) oil continues to be heavily discounted. This is a direct result of federal government decisions that have terminated two national pipeline projects and stalled a third. Ottawa is also threatening to legislate Bill C-69, which the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association has said would make building any new, major pipeline in Canada difficult to imagine.

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If current market access conditions continue, and the differential between the West Texas Intermediate price and the WCS price of $52 were to last for an entire year, the impact on provincial oil royalty revenues would be approximately $500 million and cost industry around $7.4 billion.

Our government will continue to stand up for the jobs and positive economic impact that the energy industry brings to Saskatchewan and to press the federal government to build pipelines and ensure that we get fair value for our resources.

Bronwyn Eyre, Saskatchewan Minister of Energy and Resources

Highway system needs a revamp

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I clipped John Gormley’s article on trucks rolling through stop signs (SP, Sept. 21) because I almost got killed by one on Sept. 9. I was westbound on Hwy 14, west of Biggar, when a white Mercedes truck came off a side road from the north at full speed and locked up and swerved in an attempt to miss us. I swerved into the eastbound lane and he missed us.

We need a revamp of our system that chronically allows impaired drivers to go on killing and maiming. I say “impaired” because stupidity, incompetence, lack of proper training, and drugs mixed with alcohol, marijuana, distractions, bad driving habits, arrogance, and speed and some medical conditions are all impairments.

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I think back to Feb. 3, 2014 when a school bus driven by a Mr. Cumpstone plowed into a pickup truck and trailer north of Biggar, killing the young mother of twin boys who were on that bus. He got a slap on the wrist (again). Only weeks before that, Cumpstone had rolled a school bus, but was allowed to carry on. (It was deemed the fault of an icy road.) I hope the judge who made that call reads this because I want him to know that the icy road had very little to do with him rolling his bus.

Driver’s licences should be federal, with proper training mandatory, and mandatory suspensions from say, three months to life with every at-fault accident. This would save innocent lives, injuries, and billions of dollars, and thousands of bad drivers would be off the road.

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The StarPhoenix welcomes letters, which are limited to 250 words and must include the writer’s name, street address and phone number.

Submissions will be verified and edited before publication. We publish the names and community of all letter writers. Do not send email attachments. Writing more than one letter a month is discouraged and “open” letters are not accepted. Send to: 204 Fifth Ave. N., Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2P1

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